One study, published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science, found that walking backward helped with balance, gait and speed. Another study found that it helped people with neurological and musculoskeletal disorders. But before you decide to give it a try, it’s important to know exactly why it’s beneficial, and how to do it safely.
What Are the Health Benefits of Walking Backward?
Personal trainer and Leading Edge co-founder Noelle McKenzie says that two major benefits of walking backward are that it helps with stability and balance. “This is because you’re forcing your body to adapt to new and unfamiliar demands, which throws off your body’s center of gravity,” she says. “Your body is not used to walking backward so it requires a higher level of stability for balance.” Weight loss coach and Strong With Sarah founder Sarah Pelc Graca, NASM, agrees. “As humans, our bodies are conditioned to walk forwards. When you walk backward, your center of gravity slightly changes from what our bodies are used to, which helps to improve stability and balance,” she says. This extra challenge is good for the brain too. “Walking backward forces us to be more present and focused since it doesn’t come nearly as naturally to us as walking forward,” says certified personal trainer and weight loss coach Esther Avant. While putting one foot in front of the other to walk forward is second nature, walking backward takes more conscious thought, which requires your brain to work harder when communicating to your muscles. Pelc Graca says that walking backward can be especially beneficial for someone with an ACL injury or knee arthritis. “This is because walking backward helps to strengthen the muscles surrounding the knee joint, including the quadriceps muscles,” she says. Avant adds to this, saying, “unlike walking forward, when we walk backward, we fully extend at the knee joint which activates the quad more.” “People who have leg impairments where normal walking mobility is hindered may benefit from walking backward, for example, if you’re recovering from a hamstring strain, fracture, stroke, or have Parkinson’s disease,” Avant says, adding that she suggests working with a physical therapist to determine if walking backward is an appropriate part of your rehabilitation program. For anyone, Pelc Graca says that walking backward requires shorter, more frequent steps, which can improve muscular endurance in leg muscles while reducing the load on joints. “Walking backward can also help improve your walking speed and help to increase the length of your steps,” she says.
How To Try Walking Backward Safely
If you want to give walking backward a try, McKenzie says to start off on an even surface at a very slow pace. This is not an activity to do on a path with twists or turns, and certainly not on steps. Avant says that it can be helpful to first try walking backward on a treadmill, using the guardrails for balance. “This can be safer than trying it outside or around your house where you could bump into something or trip and fall,” she says. Once you’re on the treadmill, Avant says to start the belt moving extremely slowly, holding onto the rails, and practicing a steady gait of reaching back with one leg, putting your toes on the ground, rolling back onto your heel while straightening your knee, and repeating on the other side. If you don’t have access to a treadmill, Pel Graca says that it can be helpful to try walking backward for the first time next to a wall, which you can touch for support. “In addition, be sure to start off at a slow, controlled speed before picking up the pace,” she says. If your main goal for walking is to burn calories, all three trainers say that walking backward isn’t the most efficient way to do this; stick with good old forward walking for that. But if you are looking for a way to enhance your balance while exercising your mind or are rehabbing from an injury, it just may help to incorporate it into your routine. Sometimes, backward thinking turns out to be beneficial! Next up, find out how fast you have to walk for it to count as cardio.
Sources
Noelle McKenzie, personal trainer and Leading Edge co-founderSarah Pelc Graca, NASM, weight loss coach and Strong With Sarah founder Esther Avant, certified personal trainer and weight loss coach
